A 23-year-old Cherry Hill man was struck and killed by a driver who fled the scene early Thursday, October 15, 2026, on North Delaware Avenue in Philadelphia's Port Richmond section, authorities said. Brendan Casuscelli was walking in the 4100 block when he was hit and pronounced dead at the scene, according to Philadelphia police.
Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department's 24th District responded to the block at approximately 12:53 a.m. Thursday, where Philadelphia Fire Department paramedics pronounced Casuscelli dead around 1 a.m., according to Shore News Network. Shore News Network reported the crash on October 15, before NJ.com published its report on October 16, identifying Casuscelli as the victim and noting he was from Cherry Hill.
Investigators from the Philadelphia Police Crash Investigation Division found multiple tire marks in the roadway near where Casuscelli's body was found; police believe a vehicle struck him and fled, according to Metro Philadelphia, which reported the crash on October 15. Police had no eyewitnesses or a description of the vehicle involved in the immediate aftermath, per the same report.
A Friend Remembered, A Search Continues
A friend, Dom Mirando, wrote online that Casuscelli was someone who cracked jokes and brightened the lives of those around him. As of Thursday, police had provided no additional information about the search for the driver, according to NJ.com's report.
Police are asking anyone with information about the crash or the vehicle involved to contact Philadelphia police at 215-685-3181. The department also accepts anonymous crash tips by call or text at 215-686-8477.
One Crash Among Many That Night
Casuscelli's death came during a high-volume overnight stretch of violent incidents across Philadelphia that also included a fatal stabbing on Wallace Street, a suspected fatal overdose, and a SWAT barricade standoff in West Philadelphia, the station notes. Hoodline previously reported on that standoff, which capped the same violent night.
If caught, the driver would face serious legal exposure. Under Pennsylvania law, leaving the scene of a fatal crash is a second-degree felony with a three-year minimum sentence. Rewards may be offered in individual cases, but they are not routinely or automatically combined.
Port Richmond's Troubled Corridor
Casuscelli's death is the latest in a string of fatal hit-and-runs in Port Richmond. Hoodline reported in April on a fatal crash at Lehigh and Aramingo avenues, not far from North Delaware Avenue; no driver was ever charged in that case.
A report from the Philadelphia City Controller's Office issued in July showed the city recorded 9.04 traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents in 2024, a rate higher than Chicago, Washington, D.C., Boston, and New York City.
WHYY reported in July that while total crash volume dropped during the pandemic, crash severity rose, leaving pedestrians and cyclists making up an increasingly larger share of the city's traffic deaths.
For now, the driver who struck Casuscelli remains unidentified, and the investigation continues.
